Melvina Olney

Melvina Elaine Olney ~ (Tees-iee-lah Chahn Iohoh-Chah) Has been called home by the creator on May 30th, 2016. She is survived by her companion Brian D George, her brother Michael Olney and sister Alice Olney, her sons Arthur Holguin Jr. (Naomi), Paul Thomas (Sarah), and Ian Thomas (Catherine), daughter Rebecca Betchard and son Neo Betchard. Her grandchildren, the reason she had us kids, were the light of her life: Andre, Travis, Arthur III, Kenneth, Rikki, Sky, Genevieve, Nikolas, Amelia, and Sequoia. Born in Santa Monica, California on April 7th, 1957, Melvina found workat a young age in Hollywood playing a role in a western movie with actor Glenn Ford. She went on to perform with her brothers and sisters at Disneyland dancing on the weekends. She graduated from Garfield High School in East Los Angeles in 1976 and was a state volleyball champion. She met and married Peter Thomas in 1983 and moved to Freeport, Maine in 1984 where she worked for L.L. Bean as a customer service rep. In 1990 Melvina returned home to the Yakima Valley and attended Heritage College. Melvina loved life and everybody in it. She will be missed and remembered for her caring and warm personality and knack for making people laugh and feel welcome. She is preceded in death by her parents Melvin Olney, and Rebecca Eagle; her brothers J.R. Olney, Marlowe Olney, and Cornelius Olney, and her sister Tangee Olney, her husband Mark Betchard and her granddaughter Melanie Thomas. A special thank you is in order to David and the nursing staff of the Cottage in the Meadow hospice in Yakima; she felt loved and cared for. Services will be held at 4:00 pm Wednesday - June 1, 2016 at the Toppenish Creek Longhouse. Overnight services will be held and sunrise burial will be at the Union Gap Cemetery. Valley Hills Funeral Home in Zillah is caring for the family. Condolences can be sent at www.valleyhillsfh.com. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Melvina Olney, please visit our flower store.